Not Working for Me

Cellular signal boosters don’t support the MIMO capability of the T-Mobile gateways. A good quality cellular booster is much more expensive than just using an external antenna designed to receive the cellular signals. It depends upon the 5G NR cellular signal you receive as to the need for a 2X2 MIMO or 4X4 MIMO antenna solution. The n71 can leverage the 2X2 MIMO but not the 4x4 MIMO. You would need the 4x4 MIMO antenna solution with the n41 band to take full advantage of the signal. 

I installed a weBoost cellular booster (package) for my sister out where she lives as there are no towers within 7.5-10 miles and lots of hills and trees. In some instances using a cellular booster with an external antenna elevated on a mast is necessary but in other cases an external antenna can do a great job. Her need is to use a couple of devices that have LTE capability so the booster works well for her. I had zero signal on my iPhone 12 Pro at her place and after setting up her weBoost solution while in front of the internal antenna I had a 5G UC signal on my phone. I was totally surprised to see it boost an n41 signal there. It was not super strong, even boosted, as the location is so far out; but still is a reasonable solution for her needs. 

External antennas can be connected but there is some risks as very small, delicate connectors on the boards so extreme care has to be taken to do it right. There are vendors, such as waveform.com that offer external antenna solutions and assistance in the installation process. They have guides and offer great support. It is a bit of cost ranging from $250 - $400 or more depending upon the antenna and various other needs such as custom cables possibly and lightning arrestors. With patience and a bit of work it is possible to take a marginal signal and improve it to be much more functional. Money and a bit of work both go hand in hand.